A law firm has been ordered to pay its former cleaning lady almost 2,500 for unfair dismissal and further employment law breaches after its managing partner ordered her out of the office during a row.
Enda Horan, a partner at Horan and Son Solicitors, and Barbara Moore, a part-time cleaner for the firm, each accused the other of shouting before she was sent away on 26 October 2022.
Although the Workplace Relations Commission ultimately concluded that it had been Ms Moore who was "looking for a row" on that date, it said the firm had by that point committed an "egregious" breach of fair procedures and had not acted reasonably in the affair.
In a decision today, the WRC upheld complaints by Ms Moore under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, along with two breaches of the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994.
The tribunal was told the 26th October row broke out following a meeting the week before, when the law firm's management sought to discuss work performance and hours with Ms Moore, who was paid 75 for three hours’ work a week there.
Mr Horan said in evidence that following a move to more modern offices Ms Moore was finishing her work early – and would "sit around for ten minutes" in his office telling him about things he "did not want to hear about other people she also cleaned for".
This included the business of another office for which Ms Moore was working, the company said in a legal submission.
Ms Moore said she had no...
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